Funding: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades. Retos investigación: Proyectos I+D+i
Region: National
Project period: 2019 – 2021
Partners: Technical University of Madrid (Project Coordinator), IMDEA Materials Institute
Principal Investigator: Dr. Damien Tourret (damien.tourret@imdea.org)

IMDEA’s subproject “Microstructure-scale investigation of grain boundary formation and behavior in hexagonal metallic alloys” focuses on the fundamental understanding of polycrystalline hexagonal microstructures (specifically in Mg-based alloys) at the microscopic scale of the grain structure.

Key objectives are: (i) obtain quantitative experimental measures linking solidification conditions to the selection, (ii) linking the grain boundary structure and its mechanical beavior in Mg alloys, as well as (iii) build a comprehensive mapping of grain boundary selection during growth of a Mg alloy for any crystal orientation combination and processing condition.

In addition to the outstanding fundamental scientific challenges that they present, Mg-alloys were selected as a focus of the project for the breadth of applications and the remarkable impact that they could offer across key technological fields. The most prominent applications pertain to weight reduction, fuel economy, and resulting reduction of greenhouse gases.